The Club Garden Party
One of my favourite things about this event is the surprise of the gardens. Erica’s struck me with both longing and guilt: she had invited me a year earlier and I had yet to visit. Erica, regardless, greeted me with open arms saying she was glad I had come… and ‘do go and see how that cutting of yours is going’ – the deep maroon chrysanthemum. The terrific idea of the wire surround helps blooms stand tall with straight stems for your vase. Erica had also invited members to bring secateurs and a plastic bag to take cuttings, delightful. Any gardener I know would not miss such an opportunity! Salvias, geraniums and more will be enjoyed by many in time to come and we will be able to say they came from Erica’s.
Jane and Peter welcomed us to wander meandering paths, enjoy original elm and numerous other mature trees and share the extensive views across to the Yarra Valley from Chadwick House. How I would love to have a camellia this size! The house was built by Desbrowe-Annear just after the turn of the century and epitomised the Arts and Crafts Movement. Interesting small hedges, a mix of exotic and more recently added natives and multitudes of clivia are found throughout the garden; there is also a clever planting of hellebores on a steep slope so the flowers can be seen from below. Lunch was served on the terrace where learnt about the architecture, the variety of birds that visit the garden and the small pond built especially for the local brown tree frog.
An IGC member – RV (taken from May Cuttings 2017)